


Blood Red Poppies and Copper-Stained Roses

by Maximilinus



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Fluff, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:55:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25236544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maximilinus/pseuds/Maximilinus
Summary: How they meet and fall in love. it very gay.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 4
Kudos: 59





	1. God or Magic?

**Author's Note:**

> It's very gay.

Yusuf was the last person to be surprised by immortality. Well he should have been unsurprised.

See everything magical and good happened to Ruggiero. Ruggiero was his brother. Yusuf often wondered whether he was only given immortality for bad reasons as Yusuf found it more cursed than gifting.

Yusuf used to think it was his adopted father, Atlantes doing. Their father protested when Yusuf went out with friend, but never protested when Ruggiero did the same. Their father protested when Yusuf became a soldier, but applauded Ruggiero when he did the same. 

His father also happened to be known as Atlantes the miracle man or Atlantes the wizard, so when Yusuf died the first time he silently swore at his father and prayed to God that God relayed his message to him.

Nicolo did not believe in magic. Perhaps he did once, but that was taken away. 

If magic existed surely he would be Rogelio's side.

If magic existed, Rogelio's love would have been forever and always.

If magic existed he would not be a knight Templar. 

If magic existed he would not have been punished for loving Rogelio.

Nicolo had been forced to be a Knights Templar for his crime of abominable sin. But really his only crime was love and his only crime was... In modern times you would call it punching above one's weight, back then one might say climbing a ladder that's wasn't yours.

His only crime was falling in love with Lord Rogelio, a man and a noblemen.

Nicolo however did believe in the ways of of God. He believed his dreams of a bearded man was from God. 

And when he saw that bearded man, he believed God was leading him to salvation. He believed God wanted him to kill the bearded man in order to be forgive.

Oh how these two men were very, very wrong.


	2. Red Stone, Red Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm bad at battles scenes shhh

When Nicolo and Yusuf met, Nicolo was finding Yusuf. Yusuf was running away.  
Not from Nicolo. Yusuf had no idea Nicolo was coming. 

Yusuf had been camping out with Ruggiero and Ruggiero's lover, Bradamantes, in the Iberian peninsula.

Yusuf, not wanting to hear the ever present moans escaping Bradamantes and Ruggiero's badly closed tent, went for a walk. 

Yusuf on his walk found a cave, and noticing the storm brewing sought refuge there.  
It was red and rocky, damply cold and a little spooky but Yusuf had slept in worst places.

"You." An Italian accent broke the beautiful silence that Yusuf had been seeking refuge in. Yusuf turned around, gazing and analysing Nicolo. Nicolo wore chainmail armour, with a white cloak, a red cross decorated Nicolo's Abdomen. Nicolo was holding a broadsword and an expression of startledness.

"Me?" Yusuf smirked cheekily. It was that moment he recognised that man, "you. You're the man of my dreams."

"Of?" Nicolo grimaced at his enemy

"My Italian is not so great, crusader." Yusuf sneered. "From. I meant. I believe God wants me to kill you."

"Ha!" Nicolo laughed before stabbing Yusuf, "I thought the same thing."

When Yusuf awoke, Nicolo was snoring loudly. Yusuf glanced around. There was blood Yusuf's shirt but not wound.  
He could have sworn he had been stabbed.

Nicolo was holding his broadsword like a babe holds a doll.  
Peaceful and angelic Yusuf now would call him.  
Yusuf then however called it an easy kill.  
This cave was full of large rocks, Yusuf smiled.  
Yusuf picked one up up and smashed Nicolo's face in.

It was messy but necessary.


	3. The walls repeating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the game begin

Nicolo awoke to his bones cracking and a large rock lounging on his face. His eyes travelled around to his sword. A man in a brown cloak was holding it.

Nicolo stepped back, "you're supposed to be dead!"

Yusuf grimaced swinging the sword, "I could say the same thing about you."

Nicolo bent down grabbing a dagger from his boot. When he looked up, Yusuf had his sword brushing against Nicolo's neck. Nicolo swiped his leg around and tripped Yusuf up.

A proper fight and fair fight this time. Yusuf was victorious, but Nicolo woke up again. The fighting went on for hours. Each time one of them was victorious and the other awoke from death.

When the storm hit it's peak, the pair decided to call it a night and laid a truce. They split the cave into two sides with stones and agreed none could pass into each others bounds.

"Why are you fighting this war?" Yusuf asked softly and hesitantly, slightly scared that the question was too personal. 

"Fighting for my salvation." Is all Nicolo said, Nicolo lay down and stared at the shadows of the ceiling.

"Right and how did your salvation get over here?" Yusuf jokes. Nicolo laughed at that as he tried to fight off a looming smile.

"I fell in love, and the love was wrong. A sin." Nicolo's eyes dropped in a sad manner, "A man, his name's Rogelio. a lord from Spain."

"Love is not a sin." Yusuf lay down, leaning on his elbow. Yusuf winked at a sad Nicolo.

"What about you? What's your story?"

"Protecting these lands from the rapists and plunderers you lot bring over." Yusuf sighed and growled.

"Not all of us are rapists and plunderers."

"No some of you are just fools." Yusuf retorted before turning over and grabbing some shut-eye.


End file.
